Publish at November 12 2025 Updated November 12 2025
Learning to see far ahead and taking a futuristic view is not the most common thing in our societies. And yet, in a world in constant transformation, we need visionaries who are aware of the mechanisms of change.
In this respect, it's a good idea to question the role of schools as incubators of this dynamic. Is school learning always in line with the needs of a changing society? Is the culture of the quest for knowledge rooted in us?
The mismatch between training and the real needs of the professional world has long been blamed on schools, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The impression is that the most important thing is to transmit knowledge, generally without regard for the needs of learners and the reality on the ground.
From this perspective, we have at least once been subjected to learning that today is of no use for the simple reason that, in addition to being essentially theoretical, it is not in tune with the needs of the world. The results of a study published in 2022 revealed an unemployment rate of 39.1% in Africa, due to a mismatch between training and the job market. Specialists were unanimous on one point: the need to rethink the education system in African schools and universities.
Before launching out into society to acquire complementary knowledge, skills and know-how, school should be an incubator of abilities, not a place for routine learning. In fact, what's the point of having a full head when the world needs a full head? Fortunately, there are a number of innovative initiatives that are reinvigorating the school's mission.
In this vein, L'école du Futur is an initiative in the city of Dakar, Senegal. The configuration of educational programs is striking in more ways than one.
The aim of this school is to prepare children for the challenges of the 21ᵉ century and to: "form responsible, creative and autonomous citizens capable of adapting to the ever-changing world."
Being passionate about knowledge, not just in one's field, but also in other related sectors, is a driver of continuous change and transformation. To cultivate projection skills, it is more than necessary to embrace future skills. In a survey carried out by Mc Kinsey entitled: Defining the sills citizens will need in the future world of work, four major categories of future skills are listed:
These skills are subdivided into 13 others to be explored.
As far as cognitive competence is concerned, there are cognitive skills that help us to anticipate. We're talking here about planning (the ability to anticipate and think ahead about the best way to carry out a task) and cognitive flexibility (our brain's ability to adapt our behavior and thinking in the face of new, changing or unexpected situations). When the desire to learn becomes a reflex, we put ourselves in the mood for change. In this vein, we have more cards in our hands to speculate on the modalities of change and their future implications. Futurists have this ability to anticipate possible futures. Of course, this takes practice and regular work.
Diverse knowledge and skills create a favorable environment for anticipation. With this in mind, debate continues to focus on the potential of artificial intelligence and its effects on the world of work. If many have been able to express their views on the future of work in the age of AI, it's precisely because of the knowledge that has been amassed in the field.
In the same vein, the research assignments given to students force them to read more, to familiarize themselves with and delve into several fields. By coming into contact with different data, they can imagine changes to come. Imagining and anticipating have everything to do with ongoing familiarization with knowledge. As the Argentinian comic-book writer Quino put it: "The interesting thing is not where the world comes from, but where it's going.
Perfecting the art of seeing far ahead lies in the ability to analyze current data by relating it to its future implications. The best way to do this is to make the phrase "the future is now" your own. In fact, living with the idea that the opportunities of the future are to be seized today helps us to project ourselves into the future, for the simple reason that we live in a world of constant change. When school has played its true role and we embrace a taste for knowledge and lifelong learning, making connections becomes a culture.
What's more, when it comes to forecasting the future, specialists generally have the propensity to conjure up different scenarios from different angles. It's a beneficial exercise for those who practice it regularly. What's essential each time is to be able to understand what's happening in the present, what's at stake, so as to be able to project into the future.
Illustration: SeungHyeon Kim - Pixabay
Sources
The school of the future - https://lecoledufutur.sn/
Africa: 39.1% unemployment rate due to inadequate training - Africa24
h ttps:// africa24tv.com/afrique-taux-de-chomage-de-391-du-a-la-formation-inadequate
Futrue skills: A few skills for an uncertain future? - Société ddes employés de commerce
h ttps:// www.secsuisse.ch/a-savoir/themes/future-skills
Foresight or the art of anticipating the possible - uclouvain - Rafaël Ritondo
https://www.uclouvain.be/fr/news/la-prospective-ou-l-art-d-anticiper-les-possibles
Questioning AI: What it reveals about us and our future - Amadou Sow - UNDP
https:// www.undp.org/fr/africa/blog/interroger-lia-ce-quelle-revele-sur-nous-et-sur-notre-avenir
Adapting education in Africa to the realities of the 21st century - Julie Mwabe - Hiba Elamin Omer - GPE
https://www.globalpartnership.org/fr/blog/adapter-leducation-en-afrique-aux-realites-du-21e-siecle
Cognitive skills and cognitive abilities - Cognifit
https://www.cognifit.com/cg/science/capacites-cognitives
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